Red wines : Valle d'Aosta

A regionwide DOC known as Valle d’Aosta or Vallée d’Aoste covers various categories of wine whose names are given in Italian and French, the official second language. These include the red wines of Arnad-Montjovet, Chambave, Donnas, Enfer d’Arvier, Nus and Torrette. The DOC covers the dry white wine of Morgex and La Salle, whose vineyards in the shadow of Mont Blanc are reputed to be the highest in continental Europe, and the sweet white Chambave Moscato and Nus Malvoisie.

Valle d’Aosta DOC also applies to Bianco, Rosato and Rosso (including Novello) and eight varietal wines. Grape varieties used range from Piedmontese (Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Moscato) to French (Chardonnay, the Pinots, Gamay), to the teutonic Müller Thurgau. But the most intriguing wines of Valle d’Aosta stem from varieties it calls its own. These include the Petit Rouge of Enfer d’Arvier and Torrette, the Blanc de Valdigne of Morgex and La Salle, the Petite Arvine of the varietal white of the name, the Vien for the red wine of Nus and the Malvoisie (apparently a mutation of Pinot Gris) for the rare dessert white of Nus.